Patentable/Patents/US-9355571
US-9355571

Modules and methods for biasing power to a multi-engine power plant suitable for one engine inoperative flight procedure training

PublishedMay 31, 2016
Assigneenot available in USPTO data we have
Inventorsnot available in USPTO data we have
Technical Abstract

A system and method for conducting flight procedures training in a rotary-wing aircraft with a multi-engine powerplant includes determining a variable bias relative an available power margin to simulate a reduced power available flight condition; and displaying symbology indicative of the simulated reduced power available flight condition.

Patent Claims
26 claims

Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.

1

1. A method for conducting flight procedures training in a rotary-wing aircraft with a multi-engine powerplant comprising: continuously determining an instantaneous available power margin of the multi-engine powerplant system in real time; continuously determining a variable bias relative to the instantaneous available power margin; limiting a torque of each engine of the multi-engine powerplant system relative to the variable bias to simulate a reduced power available for a flight condition; and displaying symbology indicative of the simulated reduced power available flight condition.

2

2. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein said determining an available power margin further comprises: utilizing current ambient conditions and current aircraft weight to determine the available power margin.

3

3. A method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising: equally reducing a power from each engine of the multi-engine powerplant to simulate the reduced power available flight condition in response to the reduced power available flight condition such that said reduced power available flight condition will result in a rotor droop condition.

4

4. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein limiting the torque of each engine maintains level-loading of a main rotor gearbox.

5

5. A method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising: selecting the reduced power available flight condition based at least in part on a predefined aircraft weight.

6

6. A method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising: selecting the reduced power available flight condition based at least in part on a predefined maximum internal aircraft weight condition.

7

7. A method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising: selecting the reduced power available flight condition based at least in part on a predefined maximum external aircraft weight condition.

8

8. A method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising: selecting the reduced power available flight condition based at least in part on one engine inoperable (OEI) condition.

9

9. A method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising: associating the reduced power available flight condition in relation to a one engine inoperable (OEI) condition at a predefined aircraft weight.

10

10. A method as recited in claim 9 , wherein said displaying symbology step further comprises: randomly selecting one engine for simulated failure display symbology; and displaying symbology indicative of the simulated failure of the selected engine.

11

11. A method as recited in claim 10 , wherein said displaying symbology step further comprises: displaying a timer representing engine operation in response to the simulated operation when operating above a predetermined operational time limit.

12

12. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein said displaying symbology step further comprises: displaying symbology indicative that a training state is active.

13

13. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein said displaying symbology step further comprises: modifying symbology indicating turbine gas temperature (TGT) and engine torque of all engines of the multi-engine powerplant to indicate increases in TGT and engine torque to simulate an increase in aircraft weight.

14

14. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein said displaying symbology step further comprises: modifying symbology indicating turbine gas temperature (TGT) and engine torque of all engines of the multi-engine powerplant to indicate decreases in the TGT and engine torque to simulate decrease in aircraft weight.

15

15. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein said displaying symbology step further comprises: displaying a symbology indicative of a First Limit Indicator (FLI) adjacent symbology indicative of a rotor torque.

16

16. A module for conducting flight procedures training in a rotary-wing aircraft, comprising: a multi-engine powerplant system; a cockpit instrument display system; and an OEI/BIAS training system in communication with said multi-engine powerplant system and said cockpit instrument display system, said OEI/BIAS training system operable to continuously determine a variable bias relative to a continuously updated available power margin by limiting a torque of each engine of said multi-engine powerplant system to simulate a reduced power available flight condition, wherein the continuously updated available power margin is continuously updated in real time.

17

17. The module as recited in claim 16 , wherein said multi-engine powerplant system includes three engines.

18

18. The module as recited in claim 17 , wherein said training system operates to apply a symmetrical load limit on each of the three engines of the multi-engine powerplant system.

19

19. The module as recited in claim 16 , wherein said cockpit instrument display system is operable to display a TORQUE DISPLAY which expands to a QUAD TAC DISPLAY in response to a rotor droop condition.

20

20. The module as recited in claim 19 , wherein said QUAD TAC DISPLAY is operable to display a torque bar for each engine in response to the rotor droop condition.

21

21. The module as recited in claim 16 , wherein said cockpit instrument display system comprises an OEI/BIAS display operable to displays a multiple of selectable weight biases associated with a respective multiple of reduced power available flight conditions.

22

22. A method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising: simulating releasing an external load; and changing the torque of each engine of the multi-engine powerplant system to simulate the reduced power available flight condition related to an aircraft weight condition without the external load.

23

23. A method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising: continuously calculating the available power margin from an actual aircraft weight and a desired training weight.

24

24. A method as recited in claim 23 , wherein the desired training weight is a maximum internal aircraft weight condition.

25

25. A method as recited in claim 23 , wherein the desired training weight is a maximum external aircraft weight condition.

26

26. A method as recited in claim 23 , wherein the desired training weight is a one engine inoperable (OEI) condition.

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Patent Metadata

Filing Date

January 23, 2008

Publication Date

May 31, 2016

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Cite as: Patentable. “Modules and methods for biasing power to a multi-engine power plant suitable for one engine inoperative flight procedure training” (US-9355571). https://patentable.app/patents/US-9355571

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